


Caring About The Consequences

by Small_Hobbit



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-23 18:23:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14338380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: There are times when Lestrade wants a cigarette.





	Caring About The Consequences

**Author's Note:**

  * For [humanveil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/humanveil/gifts).



“I thought you’d given up,” Sherlock remarked. 

“I had.”  Lestrade took another drag on his cigarette.  “But some cases leave me longing for a fag.”

They were standing outside the terraced house where Lestrade’s suspect had been arrested before being taken into custody still loudly protesting his innocence.  Sherlock had deduced the man’s movements over the past twenty-four hours thereby incontrovertibly proving his guilt.

“Then I’ll have one, too.”

“You don’t need one.  You treat every case as an intellectual problem and don’t get involved.  I can’t do that.”

“I understand that sharing a simple action can help in these circumstances.  So you should give me one.”

“Still ‘no’!”

“Or we could go for a walk by the river, we’re not far away.  And I could stand downwind and breathe in your smoke,” Sherlock said with a smile.

Lestrade dropped his cigarette and ground it under his heel.  “Okay, let’s go for a walk.”

They walked in silence until they reached the river, when Sherlock said, “So, tell me what’s bothering you.”

“You’re not interested.”

“No, but it will help you if you verbalise your thoughts.  You could always borrow the skull if you wanted, but I think you’d rather talk to me.”

“Git!”  Lestrade thought for a minute and then began to unburden himself. When he had finished he added, “I still don’t see why you encourage me to talk.  It’s not as if I can tell you anything about the case you don’t already know.  All I’ve described is the human consequences, which you deem irrelevant.”

“As far as solving the case, they are irrelevant.  And sometimes I look at the world, and it all seems irrelevant, and the siren of the needle sings loudly.  But then I listen to you and see how much you care and realise that there is more to life.”

“I often think my job would be easier if I didn’t care.”

“Maybe.  But then if you didn’t care, you wouldn’t be doing this particular job.  And if you didn’t care, I wouldn’t be here to help you.”

Lestrade gave Sherlock a shrewd look and sighed dramatically.  “In which case I suppose I shall have to resign myself to caring.  And what do you reckon, since I didn’t actually finish my cigarette, can I call this another fag-free day?”

“Who am I to disagree with you, Detective Inspector?”


End file.
